Combined copy-holder and note-book cover.



PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905.

P. A. EFTOFIE. COMBINED COPY HOLDER AND NOTE BOOK COVER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23. 1905.

c a u w c m a m w w m P n n o n w m P FREDA A. EFTOFIE, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS.

COMBINED COPY-HOLDER AND NOTE-BOOK COVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Application filed Ianuary 23. 1905. Serial No. 242,838.

To all whom, it may concern.

Be it known that I, PREDA A. EFTOFIE, a subject of the King of Roumania,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Copy-Holderand Note-Book Cover, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in a device which is moreespecially intended for use by stenographers in holding the notebooks orother copy in an inclined vertical position, so that the notes may bereadily seen in the operation of transcribing the same by means of atype-writing machine, and also for providing a protecting-cover forthebook or copy when not in use or when being carried; and it consists incertain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, andoperation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter morefully set forth and specifically claimed.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a combinedcopy-holder and notebook cover which shall be simple and inexpensive inconstruction, strong, durable, and effective in operation, with itsparts so constructed and arranged that the supporting members may beseparated or placed in positions so as to vertically support the notesor note-book by the use of one hand, and can be folded together orchanged from a copyholder to a book-cover with the use of but one hand.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be disclosed in thesubjoined description and explanation.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it,referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of the device, showing it in use as a copy-holder andillustrating the notebook or copysheets mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is anedge view showing by continuous lines the position of the parts whenarranged to form a cover for the note-book and illustrating by dottedlines the position to which one of the supporting members may be movedand held. Fig. 3 is a fragmental view of the outer surface of a portionof one of the supporting members, which also forms a part of thebook-cover. showing the spring-actuated supporting-arm thereon. Fig. 1is a fragmental sectional View thereof, showing the manner of securingthe spring thereto. Fig. 5 is a similar View of like parts, showing amodification in the means of securing the spring thereto. Fig. 6 is afragmental face view illustrating said modification. Fig. 7 is afragmental perspective view of the inner surface of the other supportingmember, showing a keeper thereon for the supporting-arm. Flg. 8 is anenlarged sectional view of the upper portion of the supporting members,showing the manner of connecting the same together and illustrating abail or holder for the note-book secured thereto. Fig. 9 is a fragmentalface view of the same. Fig. 10 is a fragmental view of a portion of oneof the supporting members, showinga modification in the manner ofsecuring the supporting-arm thereto; and Fig. 11 is a sectional viewthereof.

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views of the drawings.

The reference-numeral 15 indicates the main supporting member of thecopy-holder as well as one of the covers for the note-book or leaveshaving thereon the notes to be transcribed or copied, and said member ispreferably made of cardboard and rectangular in shape. To the upper endof the member 15 and to each side thereof is secured a strip of sheetmetal 16. which projects slightly above the upper end thereof, thusforming bearings for the bail or wire holder 17, which extends acrossthe upper portion of the member 15 and has its ends inturned, so as tofit in the space between the upper end of the member 15 and the metalstrip 16, thus forming a hinged bail or support 17 for the note-book orsheets 18, which are passed between the bail 17 and the inner surface ofthe member 15, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Themetallic strip 16 may be covered by means of a strip of cloth 19,secured to the sides of the said supporting member.

Rigidly secured transversely to the outer surface of the member 15, nearits top, is a strip 20, of card or straw board or other suitablematerial, to the lower edge of which is secured the other supportingmember 21, which is rectangular in shape and preferably of the samewidth as the supporting member 15 above described. The supporting member21 is preferably secured to the lower edge of the strip 20 by means of acovering 22, of cloth or other flexible material.

Connected to the upper portions of the member 15 and strip 20, at itsupper end, preferably by means of a piece of cloth 23 interposedtherebetween, is a member 2a, which, together with the member 15,comprises the note-book cover.

Secured transversely on the outer surface of the member 15, near itsupper end, is aspring 25, which is provided with an extension 26 to restagainst the lower surface of a supportingarm 27, which comprises a wirebent back upon itself and having at each of its ends a lateral extension28, which projects through the spirals of the spring 25, as is clearlyshown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This spring, which, as shown in saidligure, is divided at about its center to permit of the reception of theextensions 28 and the arm 27, may be secured to the member 15 by havingits ends passed through openings therein and clenched, as shown in Figs.3 and 4 of the drawings, or it may have its ends secured by staples 29,passing through the member 15, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of thedrawings. On its surface adjacent to the member 15 the other supportingmember 21 is provided with a keeper 30 for the arm 27, which keeper istransversely secured on the member 21 and projects a slight distancetherefrom in order to permit said arm to pass between it and saidmember. To prevent the arm being withdrawn from the keeper 30, it isprovided at its free end with a clownturned portion 31, which will actas a stop or check therefor.

Instead of securing the arm 27 with a supporting member 15, as shown inFigs. 3 to 6, inclusive, I may dispense with the spring and pivotallysecure the extensions 28 of the arm by means of flattened staples 32,which are passed through the member 15 and clenched thereon, as shown inFigs. 10 and 11 of the drawings.

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings it will be seen andclearly understood that by passing a portion of the leaves of thenote-book 18 between the bail 17 and the member 15, so that the bailwill rest at the middle of the note-book, it will be securely held inplace and may be protected by the members 15 and 24, which will form acover therefor, as shown by continuous lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings.In order to convert the device into a copy-holder, the member 24 shouldbe turned over to the position shown in Fig. 1, when by moving themember 21 outwardly from the member 15, which can be done by the use ofone hand, the supporting-arm 27 will hold the members 21 and 15 apartuntil it is desired to close the holder, which may be done by the use ofone hand and by simply pressing the members 15 and 21 toward each other.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In acombined copy-holder and note-book cover, the combination with amain supporting member, of a strip rigidly secured across its upperportion, another supporting member hinged to the lower edge of saidstrip, a keeper located on the inner surface of the last-named member,an arm engaging the keeper and pivotally secured on the outer surface ofthe first-named member, a bail transversely secured on said first-namedmember near its upper end, a flexible piece located on the upper portionof the main supporting member, and a cover connected to said flexiblepiece, substantially as described.

2. In acombined copy-holder and note-book cover, the combination with amain supporting member, of a sheet-metal strip bent over its upper endand secured to its sides, a bail transversely located on the upperportion of said member and having its ends inturned and located betweenthe metal strip and the upper end of said member, another supportingmember transversely hinged to the main supporting member near its upperend, a keeper located on the inner surface of the last-named member, anda spring-actuated arm engaging the keeper and secured to the outersurface of the main supporting member, substantially as described.

PREDA A. 'EFTOFIE. v

l/Vitnesses:

CHAs. G. TILLMAN, A. GUsTAFsoN.

